18 ms·

I think rmc is saying ads only require cookies because ad networks require them, but they're not absolutely necessary. Newspapers, magazines, billboards, TV ads

I think rmc is saying ads only require cookies because ad networks require them, but they're not absolutely necessary. Newspapers, magazines, billboards, TV ads, and other physical media don't have the equivalent of cookies and companies still pay to advertise that way. I don't know anything about advertising but I don't see why an online ad couldn't just consist of a jpg or text, a url and a contract between 2 parties. Obviously that type of ad wouldn't just be a JS snippet you drop into a page. I'm picturing a process like 1. Create some good content 2. Show it to an perspective advertiser with a 'Your Ad Here' placeholder 3. Agree to display an exclusive ad for a certain amount of time. The advertiser can check you're actually showing the ad however they do for physical media. They can also estimate it's effectiveness however they do for physical media. Obviously reputation would play a big role. If the content creator becomes popular enough advertisers will flock to them, if they're just starting out they'll have to solicit companies to sell advertising at a super low prices or give it away for a while. People would have to talk to each other, establish a little trust with each other and take a few monetary risks but isn't that what business is all about? The JS snippet ads could stay around too, but if this law spreads, which I hope it does NOT, it's going to annoy the hell out of people, a browser plugin is more annoying IMO, so that's not the solution. Again, I don't jack about advertising so I'm probably just being idealistic.

jonknee 14y ago
Print publications have circulation audits. TV has ratings. Cookies ad similar legitimacy for websites. It also enables much more in depth accountability which has created a massive new advertising market that could not exist without it (good luck with CPC without cookies). If the same could happen in print or broadcast it most definitely would be used.
- jasonkostempski 14y ago
  Websites have ratings in all kinds of varieties and could have audits of some kind. Maybe the techniques for estimating ratings, audits and click-through without cookies can't be completely automated or 100% accurate, but so what, someone can make a business out of doing that well. Maybe website owners would have to start allowing ad companies to run some code on their servers, LOL. I'm sure cookie like strategies could happen in print and broadcast with extreme measures but it would be expensive and the privacy violations would likely be so glaringly obvious that no one would stand for it. Just because it's easy to do and hide on the web doesn't mean it should be done. CPC is just one business model, maybe it's not the only feasible one. I'm not saying I despise the current model or that I think that law is a good idea, I don't even care about privacy myself and I don't want to have to click more buttons than I have to, but many people do care and have no idea how deeply they're being tracked. Some think something should be done about that, enough to influence some governments. I'm sure there are a lot of historical failed attempts at other models but a lot has changed, I don't think it could hurt to at least consider implementing some other ideas, new and old. Not me of course, someone else.

jonknee 14y ago

Print publications have circulation audits. TV has ratings. Cookies ad similar legitimacy for websites. It also enables much more in depth accountability which has created a massive new advertising market that could not exist without it (good luck with CPC without cookies). If the same could happen in print or broadcast it most definitely would be used.

jasonkostempski 14y ago
Websites have ratings in all kinds of varieties and could have audits of some kind. Maybe the techniques for estimating ratings, audits and click-through without cookies can't be completely automated or 100% accurate, but so what, someone can make a business out of doing that well. Maybe website owners would have to start allowing ad companies to run some code on their servers, LOL. I'm sure cookie like strategies could happen in print and broadcast with extreme measures but it would be expensive and the privacy violations would likely be so glaringly obvious that no one would stand for it. Just because it's easy to do and hide on the web doesn't mean it should be done. CPC is just one business model, maybe it's not the only feasible one. I'm not saying I despise the current model or that I think that law is a good idea, I don't even care about privacy myself and I don't want to have to click more buttons than I have to, but many people do care and have no idea how deeply they're being tracked. Some think something should be done about that, enough to influence some governments. I'm sure there are a lot of historical failed attempts at other models but a lot has changed, I don't think it could hurt to at least consider implementing some other ideas, new and old. Not me of course, someone else.